Sight for guns.



, No. 728,716. PA'IENTED MAY 19, 1903.4

E. W. HUBBARD a; spo. VBSTAL.

, SIGHT .POR GUNS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 19, 1902. N0 MODEL. f 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 v l cn Rmes sHoT Lef-Tf cnnESSToT RIGHT 311110,11 l'ozwi f r1 moco A y 52M No. 728,716'. PATE-N TED MAY 19, S1903. E. W. HUBBARD a s; e. vEsTAL.

SIGHT FOR GUNSA LPLIoA'TIo'H FILED MAY 19. 1902.

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Parisist ELMER W.YHUBBA RD AND SAMUEL C. VESTAL, OF UNTED STATES f i ARMY..

SPECIFTCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,716, dated May 19, 1.903.

Application filed liIay 19| 1902.

To wZZ- whom it may concern,.- Be it known that we, ELMER W. HUBBARD, captain,` of the United States Army, stationed at Fort Monroe, in the State ot' Virginia, and SAMUEL G. VESTAL, captain, of the United States-Army,.stationed at Fort Slocum, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sights for Guns; and we do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Our invention relates to improvements for sights for guns; and it consists of certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same par-ts are indicated bythe saine letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a rear sight or a tangent sight for ordnance or artillery constructed according to our invention, parts being .broken away. Fig. 2 represents a section along the broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1- and looking to the left. Fig. 3 represents a section along ,the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 represents A.asection along the line 4 l of Fig. 1 and looking down. Fig. 5 represents a telescopic sight constructed according to our invention.

Fig. 6 represents a section through the same along the line 6 6 of Fig. 5 and looking to the left; and Fig. 7 represents a section through the casing and illustrates the movement of the adjustable cross-hairs, the section being along the line 7 7 of Fig. 6 and looking to the right in said figure.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, (shown in Sheet 1 of the drawings,) the sight'- bar A is shown'set at an angle, asis usual, to allow for drift. On this bar A we provide an index a", and in order to allow for variations in initial velocity of projectile due to varying -weights of powder charge or to variations in the powder itself from the standard velocity We provide a series of detachable plates, as

A', each having a window and scale, as further described below. Each plate is to be graduated in yards or other suitable linear units of range, and such graduation may also, if. necessary, be made with reference to the height of the gun above the plane of the target. The plates would thus be separately sans No. 108,086. un, man.)

graduated for,say, two thousand feet velocity, two thonsandone hundred -feet, dac. The up-` per end of the plate fits into a socket b in a frame B, mounted above the sight-bar, and the lower end of the plate is provided Withau. enlarged opening n.2 and a slot as, whereby the plate may be slipped over the screwAs and then clamped in place, as shown in Fig. 1. A 0n' the bar A is an index o0, corresponding to the-window and scale of plate-A', so ar-v ranged that after applying Athe proper plate for velocity ot' powder-'it can beadjusted up or down by the scale and index aforesaid, so as to allow for any further accidental or uuknown causes meeting range of the projectile, such aswind, atmospheric conditions, jump, dre. Thus before beginning an action a trial shot is fired at some object whose range is known, and the distance the shot strikes over vor short is determined. The gun and bar A then remaining in the same absolute and relative position as before, the4 plate A is then moved up or down until the main-range index reads to the observed range of the shot fired. The sightl is then adjusted for that initial velocity. and oth'er conditions aecting range. The object of such adjustment is to enable the gunner to always keep his sight reading to the exact distance of the target as reported, and thus avoid the loss of time and inaccuracy due to the ordinary methods now in use. Similarly the system .of plates described may be used to find the initial velocity of the powder charge closely enough for practical purposes. Attach a plate corresponding as nearly as possible to the given charge. thousand yards elevation.v Suppose the observed range of shot is four-thousand ve hundred yards. .Leaving gun and bar'A as before take 0E, the first plate and by trial find one which when applied will read four'thousand five hundred'yards.

For errors in pointing the gun laterally or in train, due to deviation, to the forceof thev wind, travel of target, orto other causes, we provide a -series ofindependently-movable Fire 'a shot at, say, ve-

slides mounted on the frame B. Thereinay 'be two ory more of these slides; but we 'havey shown three, each independently will now be dascribed.l

movable, as

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The frame B has journaled therein a screw D, (see Fig. 2,) which has at its end milled heads D and D2. This screw is cut away, as shown, at d on slide E next the milled head D3, Fig. l, so as to revolve in, but not pass out, of the frame B. rThe lower screw D engages a nut E', projecting downward from. the .slide E.` This slide carries an index or Zero-point e0, which is moved oy means of the milled heads D' or D2 along the scale B0 on the frame B. in the slide E another screw D is similarly journaled, which is operated by the milled head D3. This screw engages the nut F', projecting downward from the slide F, and the said slide F has an index fo, which travels along the scale E0 on the slide E. In the same Way the slide F carries a screw which engages the nut H of the eyepiece H. This eyepiece has an index ho traveling along the scale F0 of the slide F. The said eyepiece H may be provided with a sight-notch 7L and a peep-hole h'. The scale F0 is intended to correct errors of deviation, and this correction is eected by moving the index ho to the proper position on the scale F0, which may be done by simply rotating the milled head D4.

The scale E0 is intended to provide for correction due to the force and direction of the Wind, and this correction is made by moving the index fo along the scale E0 to the desired position. This may be done by simply turning the milled head D3. Where the target is stationary, no further corrections against lateral error than those stated will probably be required; but Where the target is in motion, especially in rapid motion, as a vessel under ull speed, it becomes very important to correct for the travel of target, and for this reason we provide the scale B0 and means for moving the pointer @Oef the slide E along this scale. tion and for wind and the index e0 being at the zero-point on the scale B, the sight is brought on some given part of the ship-say the mainmast. This is done by training the gun. Now stop training the gun and by means 'of the head D or D2 keep the line of sight on the same part of the ,vessel during the time of iiight of the projectile to that range, or, say, ten seconds, and then cease turning the milled head D. It the gun were now fired While trained on the target, the shot would strike some distance astern. To obviate this difculty, the Whole upper part of the sight is rotated one hundred and eighty degrees about the vertical head A". The travel is now taken, as previously described, the sight quickly rotated back to the position shown in Fig. l. The line of sight is now again brought to bear by traversing the gun, when the gun will be l pointed the correct angular distance ahead of the moving target'and may be tired at once. A second head D2 is provided, so that in this reversed position the slide may be operated, l

as usual, from the right of the sight.

In order to insure that the frame Bis turned through exactly one hundred and eighty de- The parts F and H being set for devial grecs, We provide grooves a0 in the head A0 in the sight-bar A and also a suitable springcatch C, having a pin c to project into one of these grooves a", and thus hold the frame B against turning on the bar A. Thus it will be seen that We provide simple means for corresting errors in range or in lateral deviation of the projectile which may be readily made use of Without requiring any special degree of intelligence on the part of the gunner and which can be carried on under conditions of excitement, as in. action, and that can also enable the oiiicer to better control the fire of a number of guns than can be done with prescnt devices. The corrections for Wind and deviation being independent are not affected by the correction for travel.

The means for moving the sight-bar A vertically to adjust the elevation of the gun according to the range of the target is not a part of our present invention, but is Well known in the art and need not be described herein.

We have thus described our invention as applied to the rear or ordinary tangent sight for guns; but the same may be applied to a telescopic sight, automatic or other form, with slight modications. We have shown such application in Figs. 5 to 7 on Sheet 2 of the drawings, in which K represents a telescope, which is mounted in the frame M, secured tothe bracket N, attached to the gun by the arm N' inthe usual way and provided with the ordinary level O.

P represents 'the screw for adjusting the sight in elevation, having the usual graduated micrometer-circle P'. Instead ofthe scale P2 being fixed on the verticallymovable bar or drum, as in the ordinary construction, We

ymake this scale adjustable, having its head project into the socket j) and its lower' end adjusted by means of the screw P3, adjustment being for the same purpose and effected in the same Way as the adjustment of the plate A', already referred to in connection with Fig. 1. Thus it will be seen that We provide adjustable means for correcting for errors in elevation, as before described with reference to Fig. l. The errors for lateral deviation are corrected in a similar Way to that already described With reference to Fig. 1. Thus the bars B3, E3, and FS carry scales to register, respectively,with indexes on the bars E2, F3, and H2. The bar H3 carries the crosshairs h4 inthe frame H4 in the focus of the telescope K. These bars H2, F3, and Es have downwardly-projecting lugs or nuts H', F', and E', (see Fig. 6,) which are engaged by correspondingscrews D, Which screws are turned by the milled heads D4, D3, and D'. It is immaterial Which one of these heads or bars is used to adjust for travel of target or for deviation of the projectile or for the force and direction of the Wind; but to prevent mistakes the bars should be suitably mark-ed with scales and indices, as indicated in Fig. 5.

It Will be seen that in either case'the correc'tion applied is the aigebraic sum of the 72eme corrections, due to the deviation of the pro- `jectile, due to the force and direction of the wind, and due to the travel of the target in the time of iiight of the projectile.

,Since it will be impracticable to shift the telescope-sight through one hundred and leighty degrees in order to adjust this for the Atwice the distance already shifted, but in the opposite direction. Thus if the barH3 been moved through tive divisions to the right while following the target it should be shifted through-ten divisions to the 1eft,when the sight will be set in the proper direction ahead of thetarget.v

For -further convenience in shifting the sight the heads or scales may be marked carries shot left, carries shot right, from left, from right, right to left, left to right, or any other equivalent terms.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a simple and efficient sight by means of which errors in elevation and in lateral deviation may be corrected without any mathematical.

calculation and without requiring more than average intelligence on the part ofthe gunner.

For convenience in stating our claims we will refer to the parts H and H3 as the eyepiece, meaning by this term the piece next the eye which determines the line of siglt.

It will be obvious that'various modificationsmight be made in the herein-described apparatus which could be used Without departing from the spirit of our invention. Thus While we have shown a telescopic sight and the rear sight of a tangent sight it .will be evident that the sam idea might heapplied to adjusting the well-known helical scale on a sight-drum In' the well-known spiral scale on a plane surface.

Having thus described onrinver `n, what we claim, and desire to sec'ire by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a sight for guns, the combination with a sight-bar, of a plate adjustably connected to said bar and carrying a scale registering with an index on said bar, whereby correction may be made for errors in elevation, substantially as described. l

2. ln a sight for guns, the combination with a sight-bar, of a plate adjustably connected to said bar and carrying a scale registering with an index on said bar whereby correction may be made for errors in elevation, and a frame carried by said bar with laterally-movable slides mounted thereon, whereby correction maybe made `for lateral errors, substantially as described.

3. In a sight for guns, the combination with a sight-har and a reversible frame mounted thereon, of a laterally-movable eyepiece, and of a plurality of slides each independently adjustable and moving said eyepiece all mounted on said frame, substantially as described.

4. A sight for guns, comprising a sight-bar, a frame mounted thereon and mea'ns for rotating said frame through one hundred and eighty degrees on said bar, a plurality of'slides mounted on said frame and each independently movable and each capable of adjusting the line of sight,with means for moving said slides separately, substantially as described.

5. ln a sight for guns, the combination with a sight-bar, of a plate adjustably connected to said bar and carrying a scale registering with an index on said bar whereby correction may be made for errors in elevation, a frame carried by said bar with laterally-movable slides mounted thereon, whereby correction may be made for lateral errors, ard means for rotating said frame through one hundred and eighty degrees on said bar, substantially as described.

6. In a sight for guns, the combination with a sight-bar and a reversible frame mounted thereon and a spring-catch for holding said frame in the desired. position on said bar, of a laterally-movable eyepiece, of a plurality of slides each independently adjustable and moving said eyepiece all mounted on said lframe, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof we afiiX our signatures in presence of witnesses.

ELMER W. HUBBARD. SAMUEL C. VESTAL. Witnesses to signature of Elmer W. Hubbard:

H. H. KIMBERLY, J. S. PINKETTE. 'Vitnesses to signature et Samuel C. Vestal:

ZAcH. A. WOODRUFF, T. W. WINsroN. 

